VistaMalayahttps://vistamalaya.wordpress.com
News, Style, Download, Technology & of course the ultimate VistaTue, 15 May 2007 04:19:11 +0000enhourly1http://wordpress.com/https://s2.wp.com/i/buttonw-com.pngVistaMalayahttps://vistamalaya.wordpress.com
Vista Picture Folderhttps://vistamalaya.wordpress.com/2007/05/15/vista-picture-folder/
https://vistamalaya.wordpress.com/2007/05/15/vista-picture-folder/#respondTue, 15 May 2007 04:19:11 +0000http://vistamalaya.wordpress.com/2007/05/15/vista-picture-folder/
]]>https://vistamalaya.wordpress.com/2007/05/15/vista-picture-folder/feed/0vistamalayaVista Picture FolderWireless Xbox 360 Controller for Gaming in Windows Vista..yeah!https://vistamalaya.wordpress.com/2007/05/15/wireless-xbox-360-controller-for-gaming-in-windows-vistayeah/
https://vistamalaya.wordpress.com/2007/05/15/wireless-xbox-360-controller-for-gaming-in-windows-vistayeah/#respondTue, 15 May 2007 04:16:03 +0000http://vistamalaya.wordpress.com/2007/05/15/wireless-xbox-360-controller-for-gaming-in-windows-vistayeah/Microsoft recently released the Xbox 360 Wireless Gaming Receiver for Windows a few weeks ago. I decided to pick one up last weekend as I had too many cables running in all different directions all over my desk. The Wireless Gaming Receiver allows you to use your wireless Xbox 360 Controller to play games on Windows Vista.

The Wireless Gaming Receiver is pretty simple to hook up and install. You plug the receiver in via USB just as you would a receiver for a wireless keyboard or mouse. Windows Vista will automatically detect and install the Wireless Gaming Receiver which is pretty cool.

However, you’re going to want to install the Xbox 360 Accessories Status application on the Wireless Gaming Receiver CD as this will enable you to check to see how your battery life is doing on the wireless Xbox 360 Controller. The Xbox 360 Accessories Status also lets you configure notifications for device connections.

Thanks to a pointer by Michael Wolf, who you can catch over on the Gamerscore Blog, I discovered that you can use the Xbox 360 Controllers (Wireless or Wired) to play the in-box-games that ship with Windows Vista. Sweet! I shot video to demo using the Wireless Xbox 360 Controller to play Minesweeper, Chess Titans, and Solitaire:

I was particularly impressed with the fact they incorporated the ability to have your Xbox 360 Controller “rumble” in certain instances within these games – such as in Minesweeper when I hit a mine.

The Xbox 360 Wireless Gaming Receiver is priced at $19.99. That is not a bad deal if you already have an Xbox 360 and wireless controller. I’ve also seen the Wireless Gaming Receiver and Controller bundled together as well for about $50.00.

]]>https://vistamalaya.wordpress.com/2007/05/15/wireless-xbox-360-controller-for-gaming-in-windows-vistayeah/feed/0vistamalaya2 Vista-ready LCD Panels by ASUShttps://vistamalaya.wordpress.com/2007/05/08/2-vista-ready-lcd-panels-by-asus/
https://vistamalaya.wordpress.com/2007/05/08/2-vista-ready-lcd-panels-by-asus/#respondTue, 08 May 2007 08:35:39 +0000http://vistamalaya.wordpress.com/2007/05/08/2-vista-ready-lcd-panels-by-asus/Asus, looking to capitalize on the rapidly expanding widescreen monitor market has introduced two new HD-Ready models. These new models are the Asus MW2210, which is a 22-inch LCD and the Asus MW201U which is a 20-inch LCD. Both these new LCD panels have a native resolution of 1680×1050, a response time of 2ms and are HDCP ready.

The new monitors with the large screen sizes have, been designed to optimize a user’s Windows Vista experience and have thus been certified as Windows Vista Premium ready. Asus also looking to extend the multimedia experience of these monitors, has equipped both these monitors with built-in stereo speakers and earphone jacks.

]]>https://vistamalaya.wordpress.com/2007/05/08/2-vista-ready-lcd-panels-by-asus/feed/0vistamalaya2 Vista-ready LCD Panels by ASUSVista is a battery life-waster on notebook PCs?https://vistamalaya.wordpress.com/2007/05/07/vista-is-a-battery-life-waster-on-notebook-pcs/
https://vistamalaya.wordpress.com/2007/05/07/vista-is-a-battery-life-waster-on-notebook-pcs/#respondMon, 07 May 2007 08:33:14 +0000http://vistamalaya.wordpress.com/2007/05/07/vista-is-a-battery-life-waster-on-notebook-pcs/Notebook manufacturers are claiming that the Vista Aero interface is draining the battery life of portable notebook computers thanks to using the CPU and GPU to deliver the translucent and transparent Aero experience.

A report at CNET says that some of Microsoft’s notebook partners are unhappy that the Aero interface is reportedly shortening the battery life of laptop/notebook portable computers.

As a Vista user myself, running Aero and using two batteries – the main battery and one in the docking bay, I get approximately 5 hours of battery life from both batteries, with, from memory, nearly six hours of life when previously using Windows XP, although I am now thoroughly used to getting 5 hours of life from Vista, and then using a third docking-bay battery for an addition two and a half hours of battery life if needed because I’m on the road or otherwise away from a power point.

This being the case, it would seem anecdotally true that Vista delivers less battery life than XP despite advancements in Vista to more intelligently use less power and use a combined sleep and hibernation mode to conserve power.

The consensus is that if you switch off the Aero graphics settings on your Vista equipped notebook, you will get the same kind of battery life you got under Windows XP – but you naturally miss out on the Aero graphical goodies.

Some manufacturers have resorted to implementing their own power saving schemes, automatically switching off Aero when ‘maximum power’ savings are selected, while Microsoft is promising to do more to enhance battery life through future Vista updates and patches.

Of course, future enhancements to battery technologies will remove this problem, but until then, users will have to decide between slightly less battery life if they wish to preserve Aero graphical niceties, the no-Aero graphics solution, or simply resort to carrying a second or third spare battery with them if they truly need non-stop power for hours.

]]>https://vistamalaya.wordpress.com/2007/05/07/vista-is-a-battery-life-waster-on-notebook-pcs/feed/0vistamalayaHalo 2 Gets Some Box Art for Window Vistahttps://vistamalaya.wordpress.com/2007/05/05/halo-2-gets-some-box-art-for-window-vista/
https://vistamalaya.wordpress.com/2007/05/05/halo-2-gets-some-box-art-for-window-vista/#respondSat, 05 May 2007 09:55:48 +0000http://vistamalaya.wordpress.com/2007/05/05/halo-2-gets-some-box-art-for-window-vista/ You know a game is nearing completion when the box art becomes available. But in this case, the suspense is probably far less…eh…suspenseful, considering that we already have an idea of when the game is coming out. Still, that doesn’t mean we can’t report on all the latest happenings regarding Halo 2 Vista. And in this particular, that happens to be the release of the box art.

Now if you honestly don’t know what Halo 2 Vista is, I think you need to get out from under your rock and at least keep up to date with Microsoft’s latest attempts at controlling a little planet called Earth. But seriously, Halo 2 Vista is the biggest first-person shooter to hit the PC sector since the last Counter-Strike spin-off. H2V features vehicles, a grand shooting adventure and most importantly, an even bigger multiplayer mode than what was found on the original Xbox version. Can you believe that? It’s actually bigger. That’s almost insane.

More maps, faster frame-rates, more options and better visuals round out what will be a phenomenal experience for PC gamers. Okay, so yeah…there’s like a hundred other FPS games on PC that look just as good, maybe even have twice as many weapons and possibly feature a much longer story-mode experience, but come on…it’s Halo!

Well, if you still don’t care all that much for Halo 2 for Windows Vista, you can least take some measure of appreciation for the super cool looking box art. I mean, it is really cool!

]]>https://vistamalaya.wordpress.com/2007/05/05/halo-2-gets-some-box-art-for-window-vista/feed/0vistamalayaCONFIRMED! Halo 2 Vista delayed.https://vistamalaya.wordpress.com/2007/05/05/confirmed-halo-2-vista-delayed/
https://vistamalaya.wordpress.com/2007/05/05/confirmed-halo-2-vista-delayed/#respondSat, 05 May 2007 08:35:37 +0000http://vistamalaya.wordpress.com/2007/05/05/confirmed-halo-2-vista-delayed/GamePro received an e-mail from Microsoft today notifying us that the developers of Halo 2 for Windows Vista are delaying the release of the game, which had originally been planned for an American release next week on May 8th.

“We’re making some updates to Halo 2 for Windows Vista that should improve the install experience and address other technical issues, ensuring that the final retail version provides a fantastic experience for gamers,” the statement writes. “Given these changes, we will be adjusting the on-shelf date of the product.”

Although the message does not specifically state how long this delay will be, retailers and other video game-related websites have already taken the liberty of extending the U.S. release to May 22nd, 2007. GamePro will update you if we receive further word from either Bungie or Microsoft.

]]>https://vistamalaya.wordpress.com/2007/05/05/confirmed-halo-2-vista-delayed/feed/0vistamalayaHow To Give Your Vista PC The Personal Touch With 5 Simple Stepshttps://vistamalaya.wordpress.com/2007/05/05/how-to-give-your-vista-pc-the-personal-touch-with-5-simple-steps/
https://vistamalaya.wordpress.com/2007/05/05/how-to-give-your-vista-pc-the-personal-touch-with-5-simple-steps/#respondSat, 05 May 2007 08:27:51 +0000http://vistamalaya.wordpress.com/2007/05/05/how-to-give-your-vista-pc-the-personal-touch-with-5-simple-steps/ Are you settled in with Windows Vista yet? By now, having put the new operating system through its paces, you’ve gone beyond the novice user’s infatuation with the glitzy new Aero interface. It’s time to kick it up a notch and add some slightly more sophisticated options to your Vista palette. Here are five tips to tune your Vista installation.

>> Windows DreamScene: Vista’s full-motion video-enabled wallpaper is finally out of its preview phase. The big question remains: What’s the point? DreamScene doesn’t do anything; it just looks cool.

Owners of Vista Ultimate, the most expensive of the five editions of the operating system, are the only ones who currently can use DreamScene. To access it, go to Windows Ultimate Extras from the Start menu. That’ll take you to Windows Update With Windows Vista Extras, which is the regular Windows Update dialog box. The second title therein will alert you that “there are Windows Ultimate Extras available for download.” Look for Windows DreamScene Preview from earlier this year, and the more recently released DreamScene Content Pack. The 51.3-Mbyte Content Pack adds four DreamScene motion wallpapers to the basic animation that came with the Preview.

>> Smartflip: Here’s how to make your Vista setup more like a Mac, by letting it mimic the way Apple switches between open applications. Unaltered, Vista uses Flip 3-D to stack up slices of all your open apps and display them at a 45-degree angle on your screen. You can then use your mouse wheel to locate the app you want to work on. SmartFlip, a utility available on Neowin.net, replaces Vista’s stack-on-a-bias flip with the “rotating wheel” view used in Mac OS X. Your mouse is used to scroll the desired program to the fore; it’s selected with either a click or by depressing the enter key.

>> Shut Off UACs: That would be User Account Controls, warnings that are intended to prevent you from installing spyware and virus-laden programs. In practice, they distinguish not a whit between authorized apps from major vendors and worms written by the kid down the street, and all too often cry wolf. UACs are managed via Vista’s Windows Security Center. You can shut off the UACs using the taskbar’s Windows Security Alerts icon as your starting point. You also can get to the Windows Security Center via the Control panel. Move through Start > Control Panel > Check this computer’s security status. Next, click on the left-side link within the dialog box, “Change the way Security Center alerts me.” That opens the “Do you want to be notified of security issues?” box. To kill the UAC notifications, select “Don’t notify me and don’t display the icon.”

While ditching the UACs gets rid of a nuisance, it leaves unaddressed the very real problem of Vista security. So if you’re going to do this, you’ll need to install a separate, heavy-duty security program.

>> myFireFox: Internet Explorer 7 and Firefox have been the subject of many comparisons. But while Firefox once held the lead in terms of look and feel, it’s been leapfrogged by IE7. One solution, which melds the performance of Firefox with the freshened presentation of IE, is myFireFox, an IE7 theme simulator found on Mozilla’s add-on site.

A couple of pointers: You have to be in Firefox to install myFireFox. Enable the theme-shifter by going to Firefox’s “Add-ons” menu under “Tools” (click “Use Theme”). When you relaunch Firefox, you’ll see that the forward/back navigation toolbar has adopted the IE7 theme, but you’ll wonder about the absence of the “favorites” and some other icons. To get them to appear, click on Firefox’s filemenu and open a new tab. Overall, it’s a nice thematic addition to a browser that’s still the one to beat.

>> Vista Sidebar Gadgets: There’s an easy way to broaden your choice of Vista Sidebar Gadgets. The paucity of Gadgets was a serious issue at Vista’s launch in January. The basic OS install includes only a baker’s dozen of the tiny applets, which are designed to reside permanently on your desktop and keep you updated on time, date, weather, stock prices, and your CPU’s processing load.

Now the Gadget shortage is a thing of the past. Microsoft’s Windows Live gallery includes 37 pages of Vista Gadgets, including such novelties as a Dual-CoreCPU meter and a Windows Mail applet, which lets you monitor your e-mail from the Sidebar. Want more? Then try a free tool from Mesa Dynamics called Amnesty Generator, which converts Google gadgets for use with Vista.

Rutkowska recently announced she will be running a training session called ‘Understanding Stealth Malware’ during the Black Hat Briefings and Training event in Las Vegas, which runs from 28 July to 2 August.

The training session, which will be co-presented by researcher Alex Tereshkin, promises to demonstrate new rootkits developed for Vista, ways of defeating hardware-based forensics systems and other techniques Microsoft would probably prefer the world didn’t know.

Rutkowska said she, too, is aware of the need for discretion. “For ethical reasons we want to limit the availability of this course to only ‘legitimate’ companies,” she said in a post on her blog, Invisible Things.

Rutkowska isn’t against Windows as such, but has a track record of ferreting out its weaknesses. She recently uncovered a number of flaws in Vista’s much-hyped User Account Control (UAC) feature, which led Microsoft to declare that the feature wasn’t really intended for security after all.

Until recently she was a researcher for Coseinc, but is now in the process of founding a security start-up based in Poland, she said.

Earlier this spring she demonstrated several methods that sophisticated rootkits can use to hide from even the most reliable detection method currently available – hardware-based products that read a system’s RAM.

The demonstration in July will cover such methods, but will be more comprehensive, including unpublished techniques, implementation details, new code and sample rootkits.

The target will be Windows and specifically 64bit Vista, including new kernel attacks against the latest 64bit Vista builds.

“These attacks, of course, work on the fly and do not require system reboot and are not afraid of the TPM/BitLocker protection,” she wrote.

TPM (Trusted Platform Module) refers to security systems with a hardware component built into the processor, designed to improve security and specifically to make copy-protection systems more difficult to circumvent. Rutkowska said the demonstrated techniques would work against copy-protection systems, but that this side of things wouldn’t be specifically discussed at the demonstration.

The training is aimed at security and OS developers, forensic investigators and penetration testers, Rutkowska said.

]]>https://vistamalaya.wordpress.com/2007/05/02/exclusive-windows-vista-hacks-set/feed/0vistamalayaWhy, the news analyst tell,Vista Was Vulnerable?https://vistamalaya.wordpress.com/2007/05/02/why-the-news-analyst-tellvista-was-vulnerable/
https://vistamalaya.wordpress.com/2007/05/02/why-the-news-analyst-tellvista-was-vulnerable/#respondWed, 02 May 2007 08:17:34 +0000http://vistamalaya.wordpress.com/2007/05/02/why-the-news-analyst-tellvista-was-vulnerable/Microsoft Corp. likes to promote Windows Vista as its most secure operating system release ever. And with good reason. After all, the company put a lot of software-development elbow grease into its top-to-bottom redesign of Vista’s default security experience.

Microsoft officials were surprised, too. As it turned out, the errant code happened to be very, very old errant code.

“First of all, this code is pretty old; [it’s] in Windows 2000 and predates the SDL,” wrote Michael Howard on Microsoft’s new Security Development Lifecycle blog.

Microsoft’s SDL practice is part of its much-ballyhooed Trustworthy Computing push. As Howard pointed out, no SDL is perfect, and — in the case of last month’s Windows Animated Cursor exploit — some vulnerabilities will still slip through.

“In the Windows Vista process, we banned certain APIs, like strcpy and strncpy, and changed well over 140,000 calls to use safer calls. Memcpy [the affected call] wasn’t on that list,” Howard said.

So how did Microsoft miss the Windows Animated Cursor Handling flaw during its Vista DWM coding (and legacy GDI recoding) processes? For one thing, Howard said, the errant call in this place didn’t trigger a -GS cookie, which makes it difficult to identify in the first place.

“Because there are no candidate buffers on the function’s stack, there is no -GS cookie added to the stack, even though the code is compiled with -GS,” Howard wrote. “This is not the first time we’ve seen code with no cookie, and this has made us rethink the heuristics used by the compiler when it determines whether to place a cookie on the stack or not. But changing the compiler is a long-term task. In the short-term, we have a new compiler pragma that forces the compiler to be much more aggressive, and we will start using this pragma on new code.”

“The next issue is that the code is wrapped in an exception handler that catches code failures,” he said.

Enter ASLR: “[T]he goal of ASLR is to reduce the likelihood that an attacker can determine the address of critical functions,” Howard said. “This makes it harder to make exploits run correctly. But if the vulnerable code is wrapped in an exception handler that catches many errors, a failed attempt will not crash the component and the attacker can try again with a different set of addresses.”

Elsewhere, Howard explained, Microsoft missed the vulnerability because of an utterly pragmatic reason.

“Code that uses calls such as memcpy is hard to flag as vulnerable without generating a great many false positives. This is a research problem that no one has solved, here or elsewhere,” he wrote. “Another angle is to replace calls to memcpy with memcpy_s, which forces the developer to think about the destination buffer size. We may ban memcpy for new code, but we still need to analyze this further. Stay tuned.”

I’m just about to install vista to dual boot with win xp, I have 2 HDDs, 1 160GB Primary Master and 1 80gb Primary Slave.

Currently I’m using the 80GB for Downloads and such, and the 160gb has 1 15gb partition with XP and 1 135gb Partition for games and such.

I’m just wondering, if I split up the 135gb partition into say, a 20gb partition and a 115gb partition, will that work and let me install Vista onto the 20gb partition? or do I need to use my 2nd HDD to do it?

Secondly is there anything I should know before going ahead with this? I got Vista just after release so I know how to install it but I’m not sure if I need to do anything special to make it dual bootable so it will recognise Vista and XP and give me the choice of what to do when I turn the pc on.

Just one last question, and I’m thinking the answer is probably pretty logical, but I’ll ask anyway.

If I install a program in Winxp, will it install it for Vista too, so just say I install Oblivion on XP would it show up in Vista as an installed program?

I dont really want to use Vista for gaming anyway, but just for chatting and stuff as I really loved the interface of it, just disliked the different performance in games and the incompatability of programs.